{"id":539,"date":"2018-11-05T09:47:46","date_gmt":"2018-11-05T09:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=539"},"modified":"2018-11-05T09:47:46","modified_gmt":"2018-11-05T09:47:46","slug":"nature-or-nurture-how-do-we-end-child-obesity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/539\/nature-or-nurture-how-do-we-end-child-obesity\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature or nurture: How do we end child obesity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A smartphone app that challenges children to engage in healthy behaviour, and genetic studies that investigate risk factors for obesity, are taking a nature and nurture approach to tackling one of the biggest epidemics of our time \u2013 childhood obesity.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Around\u00a0224 million children<\/a>\u00a0around the world are overweight, making obesity one of the biggest public health issues concerning youngsters today. It can lead to type 2 diabetes later in life and may carry risks for cancer.<\/p>\n

Computer scientist Dr Leire Bastida at Tecnalia in Bilbao, Spain and her colleagues turned to the so-called Internet of Things \u2013 smartphones, sensors and wearables such as smart watches \u2013 to see how technology could tackle the epidemic.<\/p>\n

\u2018<\/strong>What we hope to see is that we can use technology, especially the Internet of Things and gamification, to try and prevent obesity or improve acquisition of healthy behaviours,\u2019 Dr Bastida said.<\/p>\n

Dr Bastida coordinates the European arm of a project called\u00a0OCARIoT<\/a>, which is working with researchers in Brazil to develop behavioural interventions for children, focusing on nine to 12 year olds. \u2018This is the most risky age group,\u2019 said Dr Bastida, referring to how obesity tends to manifest in children with a higher body mass index when they reach around 11 years of age.<\/p>\n

One-in-three<\/a>\u00a0school-aged girls and boys in Greece and Brazil, and the same proportion of boys in Spain, has some kind of overweight or obesity issue, she says.<\/p>\n

In Brazil, the prevalence of obesity has soared. \u2018Childhood obesity has increased by 600 percent over the past 40 years,\u2019 Dr Bastida said. \u2018They (experts) say (that) more or less over 30% of children in Brazil are overweight.\u2019<\/p>\n

Wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n

The project is designing a personalised, entertaining app for children \u2013 accessible via smartphone and computer \u2013 which monitors physical activity and calorie intake using wearable sensors, and provides wellbeing advice.<\/p>\n

One design idea that was tested by schoolchildren, parents, health professionals and educators in four study schools this July, was to set kids a challenge based on a secret agent theme. The child was assigned a mission, such as eating two or three pieces of fruit a day, or shopping for ingredients and cooking dinner with their parents.<\/p>\n

The team is now refining its design and wearables and hope to launch the draft app in January 2019. Their ultimate aim is to prevent obesity. \u2018If we don\u2019t solve it at this kind of age range it can bring other health problems for these children,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n

But while behaviour has concrete impacts in terms of health, wellbeing and weight, understanding the early-life factors and genetics that may predispose one child to become obese rather than another child, may also provide a clue to how to stem childhood obesity.<\/p>\n

P\u00e5l Rasmus Nj\u00f8lstad, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bergen in Norway, says children come to his department with weight problems around the age of 10 to 12 years old. \u2018We try to give them diets, group therapy, but it\u2019s hard to get them thinner,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

But the issues appear to start earlier.<\/p>\n

\u2018When you look at the growth charts, it starts very early. At about four to six years of age there is a change in growth pattern,\u2019 he said. \u2018So I was thinking there must be factors really early in life, even before life \u2013 before they are born, that must be important.\u2019<\/p>\n

This observation led Prof. Nj\u00f8lstad, currently a visiting scientist at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, to set up a project called\u00a0SELECTionPREDISPOSED<\/a>, which has applied a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach to a huge, existing population study in Norway. This type of study allows researchers to see if there is a genetic variant associated with a particular trait.<\/p>\n

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‘We have discovered new genetic causes for why it is that one child is heavier than another child.’<\/p>\n

P\u00e5l Rasmus Nj\u00f8lstad, Professor of paediatrics, University of Bergen, Norway<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Blood samples<\/strong><\/p>\n

Prof. Nj\u00f8lstad and colleagues analysed the DNA and serum from blood samples taken from 114,000 children born in Norway as part of a huge\u00a0mother and child cohort study<\/a>\u00a0carried out by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, as well as samples from the children\u2019s mothers and fathers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s really a very unique study,\u2019 said Prof. Nj\u00f8lstad, referring to its scale and the fact it is unusual for a longitudinal study in that it monitors both mothers and fathers and doesn\u2019t just extrapolate the data to fathers. The study also includes extensive questionnaires and data such as kids\u2019 body weights and heights at close timepoints.<\/p>\n

\u2018They asked mothers everything you can imagine about their kids \u2013 from what they are eating, to how often they are pooping,\u2019 said Prof. Nj\u00f8lstad.<\/p>\n

The researchers were able to crosslink data with other national registries. For example, the prescription registry would reveal if a child was taking insulin or asthma drugs, or the social security system might show if a child needed support such as a wheelchair or social care. All identifying information was removed from the data to ensure the anonymity of each child.<\/p>\n

Links<\/strong><\/p>\n

The team has found that there are indeed links between particular genetic variants and childhood weight.<\/p>\n

\u2018We have discovered factors that are important for birth weight. We have discovered new genetic causes for why it is that one child is heavier than another child. We have discovered factors that affect growth in early childhood,\u2019 said Prof. Nj\u00f8lstad.<\/p>\n

The team is submitting a key paper from the project for publication. \u2018We think we have a ground-breaking paper,\u2019 he said. \u2018We have very interesting data that we are very happy with.\u2019<\/p>\n

Although the project formally finished in August, the team will be analysing the data for a long time, he says.<\/p>\n

As well as providing possible prevention strategies for children predisposed to obesity, the project holds potential for future health studies. The combination of genomic data with the cohort study and registries is already being used by other research groups investigating autism, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, psychosis in children as well as diabetes and obesity.<\/p>\n

\u2018It (the project) has generated a large resource for Norway and other researchers in the world that can access the data,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A smartphone app that challenges children to engage in healthy behaviour, and genetic studies that investigate risk factors for obesity, are taking a nature and nurture approach to tackling one of the biggest epidemics of our time \u2013 childhood obesity. Around\u00a0224 million children\u00a0around the world are overweight, making obesity one of the biggest public health … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":324,"featured_media":540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[217,71,37,95,216,79,24,171],"class_list":["post-539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-children","tag-genetics","tag-health","tag-medicine","tag-obesity","tag-research","tag-science","tag-treatment"],"yoast_head":"\nNature or nurture: How do we end child obesity? - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/539\/nature-or-nurture-how-do-we-end-child-obesity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nature or nurture: How do we end child obesity?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A smartphone app that challenges children to engage in healthy behaviour, and genetic studies that investigate risk factors for obesity, are taking a nature and nurture approach to tackling one of the biggest epidemics of our time \u2013 childhood obesity. 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Instead, the pupils receive freshly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Earth, Energy & Environment"","block_context":{"text":"Earth, Energy & Environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/earth-energy-environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/13.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/13.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/13.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/13.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/13.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/03\/13.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":810,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/810\/teenagers-are-going-to-be-the-ones-to-beat-childhood-obesity\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":2},"title":"\u2018Teenagers are going to be the ones to beat childhood obesity\u2019","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"May 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Annette Ekin Teenagers rarely have a say in the public health policies that concern them, but we can\u2019t halt the childhood obesity problem without working with them, says Professor Knut-Inge Klepp, executive director of the mental and physical health division at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/05\/Youth-Matters-workshop-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/05\/Youth-Matters-workshop-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/05\/Youth-Matters-workshop-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":890,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/890\/browning-white-fat-cells-opens-new-avenue-to-obesity-prevention\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":3},"title":"\u2018Browning\u2019 white fat cells opens new avenue to obesity prevention","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"July 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by: Vittoria D'Alessio Scientists are getting closer to understanding how to turn the body\u2019s energy-storing white fat cells into energy-burning beige fat cells, opening up hopes that fat deposits could one day be deliberately manipulated to prevent obesity and related health conditions. Professor Mirko Trajkovski from the Laboratory of Metabolic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/athlete.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/athlete.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/athlete.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/athlete.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/athlete.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/athlete.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2671,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2671\/food-for-thought-obesity-may-affect-the-brain-too\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":4},"title":"Food for thought: obesity may affect the brain too","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"February 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Calorie-filled meals with little nutrition are suspected of having an impact on decision-making and of causing an overweight trap. 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A professor of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/14.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/14.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/14.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/14.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/14.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/02\/14.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":778,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/778\/can-gut-microbes-and-genes-do-the-job-of-weight-loss-surgery\/","url_meta":{"origin":539,"position":5},"title":"Can gut microbes and genes do the job of weight loss surgery?","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"April 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by\u00a0Emanuela Barbiroglio Mice that have undergone weight loss surgery experience a change in the composition of their gut bacteria and the functioning of their genes, leading scientists to explore the possibility of mimicking these changes to develop a non-surgical treatment for obesity and liver disease in humans.\u00a0 Obesity and associated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scientists have linked post-operative changes in gut bacteria to improvements in metabolic diseases. 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